<p style="text-indent:0px; line-height:12px;"><span style="font-weight:bold;line-height:130%">Washington, DC</span><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">By ANUK Staff<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">03.26.13</p><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><p>The USDA has cited Delta Fresh Fruit Inc. of Vernon, California for failure to pay $338,659 to seven sellers for 49 lots of produce.</p><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><p>The company failed to pay and is in violation of the Perishable Agricultural Commodities Act. As a result of these actions, Delta Fresh Fruit Inc. cannot operate in the produce industry until Feb. 14, 2015, according to a release from the USDA's Agricultural Marketing Services. After this date the company may reapply for a PACA license.</p><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><p>Julio C. Nievas, the company’s principal, may not be employed by or affiliated with any PACA licensee until Feb. 14, 2014, and then only with the posting of a USDA-approved surety bond. In addition, two other principals are challenging their responsibly connected status, the release states.</p><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><p>Under PACA provisions, those individuals held responsibly connected to PACA violations including sole proprietors, partners, members, officers, directors, and stockholders, may not be employed by or affiliated with any PACA licensee without USDA-approval.</p><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><p><a class="btn btn-sm btn-primary col-lg-12" style="white-space: normal;" href=" http://www.ams.usda.gov/AMSv1.0/ams.fetchTemplateData.do?template=TemplateA&navID=Home&topNav=Home&page=Home&acct=AMSPW" target="_new">PACA Violations</a></p><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">
